Senior Vice President of Enterprise Relations

NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) provides quality and affordable higher education to empower lives and strengthen communities within Northwest Arkansas and surrounding areas.

As the largest community college in Arkansas, NWACC is recognized as a leader in education. NWACC offers a full range of associate degrees, certificates and workforce training programs that prepare students for rewarding futures and careers.

NWACC employees are dedicated to fostering a diverse educational community and cultural learning environment that supports student success.

NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) seeks a visionary and results-driven Senior Vice President of Enterprise Relations to spearhead the College’s engagement with the business and industrial sectors to include serving as an essential liaison with the regional workforce intermediary. Reporting directly to the President and serving as an essential member of the President’s Cabinet, this individual will focus on enhancing existing industry partnerships while establishing new collaborations across Northwest Arkansas and its adjacent areas to broaden and enrich the workforce talent within the region.

This position is critical for ensuring that the College offers work-based learning and training that aligns closely with employers' needs so that students graduate with the essential knowledge, skills, and credentials needed for career readiness and successful employment. The Senior Vice President will oversee the College’s Workforce Division, including its personnel, programs, and community-focused initiatives, and lead the internal strategy and coordination among its academic divisions and departments.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a thorough comprehension of workforce capacities and dynamics, an awareness of the implications of artificial intelligence in the workplace, exemplary skills in relationship-building, proficiency in mathematical and analytical tasks, and a high degree of emotional and social intelligence.

This position is grant-funded and subject to all terms and conditions of the specific grant. This position is renewable annually based on continued need for the position, availability of funding, and satisfactory job performance. This position is part of the college’s broader plan to build a robust enterprise relations team, with support from the Walton Family Foundation.

Cabinet leadership at NorthWest Arkansas Community College is expected to be highly visible, approachable, and effective in building strong connections with colleagues, students, and the broader community. This dedication to being physically present and engaged on campus is integral to enhancing the educational experience, supporting student success, and advancing the college's mission and strategic goals. Remote work is discouraged, as it can impede these crucial interactions and connections.

Essential Duties:

• Establish and maintain robust partnerships with the regional workforce intermediary and leaders in business and industry to enhance student employment and training opportunities

• Lead and manage the College's Workforce Division, encompassing staff oversight, program delivery, and budgetary management

• In collaboration with regional partners and intermediaries, create and implement a comprehensive and measurable strategic plan for regional workforce training

• Act as the primary point of contact for the College regarding external workforce collaborations and enterprise engagement

• Engage in close collaboration with academic leaders to align workforce training and degree programs with the evolving requirements of the labor market

• Represent the College in regional business organizations, economic development groups, and collaborative forums

• Facilitate the advancement of internships, apprenticeships, and tailored training solutions in collaboration with industry partners

• Engage collaboratively with the leadership of Student Affairs to ensure that student needs are addressed promptly and effectively, while concurrently adhering to the policies and procedures of the college

• Utilize labor market data and employer feedback to inform program development and guarantee the relevance of workforce offerings

• Identify opportunities for innovative programs and services that directly address employer talent requirements

• Develop a comprehensive suite of enterprise-specific and customized accelerated workforce training opportunities that enable students to earn industry credentials, micro-badges, or competencies recognized by the industry

• Identify the regional employers who possess a suitably skilled workforce in alignment with the demands of business expediency

• Develop progr